Roi Neve Comanda of Baguio City will assume the 2019 Reyna ng Aliwan title, as announced by Manila Broadcasting Company, organizers of the mammoth annual cultural event promoting festivals throughout the archipelago.

Neeve, as she is fondly called, represented the Panagbenga festival in the Aliwan Fiesta celebrations last April and was named Miss Baguio Tourism last year. She is 20 years old and is a student at the University of the Cordilleras. As Reyna ng Aliwan, she will be touring the country, gracing various festivals, which would give her the opportunity to expand her knowledge of tourism initiatives of the different LGUs while promoting Baguio and sharing best festival practices of Panagbenga.

Comanda replaces Nicole Borromeo – the ninth Cebuana to win the crown -- who has been stripped of the Reyna ng Aliwan title for violating the terms and conditions of Aliwan Fiesta’s search for festival queen, which she and her manager conformed to in writing prior to the competition. Two weeks ago, Borromeo issued a public announcement on social media that she will officially represent Cebu in the Miss Millenial Philippines 2019 pageant, which airs on another broadcast network. This came at the heels of her participation in Miss Teen Philippines, immediately after she won Aliwan. It is the first time in the 17-year history of Aliwan Fiesta that the festival queen has been dethroned.

Previous to Comanda, two other Baguio lasses have been named Reyna ng Aliwan. Syrel Aubrey Amazona and Vera Eumee Reiter scored back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Reiter went on to win Mutya ng Pilipinas after relinquishing her crown.

Pageant aficionados and beauty scouts from major national pageants have eagerly looked forward to the Reyna ng Aliwan competition every year since its inception in 2003. The pageant gathers together the muses of different festivals nationwide, boosting tourism efforts of the different towns and cities throughout the archipelago. Apart from Eumee Reiter, Reyna ng Aliwan winners who have gone on to win national and international titles include Rizzini Gomez (Miss Tourism International 2013), Mary Jean Lastimosa (Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2014), Jamie Herrell (Miss Earth 2014), Angeli Dione Gomez (Miss Tourism International 2014), Rogelie Catacutan (Bb Pilipinas Supranational 2015), and Cynthia Thomalla (Miss Eco International 2017). Reyna ng Aliwan runners up who have also won major titles include Karla Henry (Miss Earth 2008) and Ma. Ahtisa Manalo (Bb. Pilipinas International 2018). Other Panagbenga festival queens who have gone on to achieve national acclaim include Parul Framil Shah, Andrea Fe Gomez, and Sofia Loren Delieu, who is now the top security aide of President Rodrigo Duterte.